The post first appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. A bill intending to discourage students from enrolling in majors that “do not directly lead to employment” is winding its way through the Florida Legislature. Unfortunately, this bill seriously misunderstands the nature of current labor markets. A person’s major does not necessarily lead to employment in any…
Category: Politics
How Partisan Representation Shapes Citizens’ Views of Accountability and Efficiency during COVID-19
The first cases of what would become a global pandemic emerged in November of 2019, and would within months spread rapidly on an international scale. The nature of the virus put unprecedented pressure on governments both abroad and in the United. In response, local, state, and national governments instituted protective measures in an effort to…
Research Spotlight: Air Superiority and Battlefield Victory
Is there a democratic war-fighting advantage? A significant body of research finds that democracies are more likely to win wars than non-democracies. A recent study challenges this argument. In their new publication, Dr. Souva and Ph.D. candidate, Richard Saunders, argue that the outcome of major battles and interstate wars is primarily a function of which…
We Cannot Just Moderate Extremism Away
This post first appeared on Items. In the wake of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, the role of social media in propagating extremism was once again under scrutiny. However, as Deana Rohlinger’s research demonstrates, stronger moderation policies alone would fail to account for the many ways that users express political beliefs through…
Ph.D. Spotlight: Reshaping the Gun Debate: Race, Gender, and Firearms
The United States (U.S.) has a robust gun culture centered on the Constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to legally own and use firearms. Overall 30% of Americans own a gun and approximately another 11% of Americans live with someone who does. There are more guns than ever in private citizens’ hands – gun ownership has increased…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Right-Wing Political Violence in Modern Colombia (1970-1990): The State Legitimacy
In Colombia, during the early 1960s, leftist guerrilla groups were created following the spread of socialism during the Cold War. Later in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the first regional and local paramilitary groups were created to counter the spread of leftist insurgent groups. Nationalist and anti-communist sentiments fueled paramilitary ideology in Colombia as…
FSU’s Institute of Politics: Policy Making in the 117th Congress
The post is based on a webinar sponsored by the Institute of Politics at Florida State University. The Institute of Politics at Florida State University presents Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Representative Al Lawson (D-FL). Dunn and Lawson engage in discussions on the upcoming 117th Congress and how to best navigate lawmaking in these polarizing…
Ph.D. Spotlight: Is State Safety Net Capacity Adequate to Meet Basic Needs?
The decentralization of welfare allows governments to experiment and create a variety of goods in response to differences in constituent pressures, institutional constraints, and resource constraints. An important measure of the performance of a state’s social safety net is how effective it is at protecting the less fortunate during a contracting economy. State governments influence…
Research Spotlight: Diversion and Deception: Dudley Clarke’s “A” Force and Allied Operation in World War II
Most British and Americans have some understanding of D-day, even if the extent of their knowledge is that the Allied invasion was a success. While history makes the Allied victory at Normandy seem like a foregone conclusion, Allied planners never enjoyed such confidence. In 1943 when Allied leadership began making their initial plans for the…
Meet a Social Scientist: Dr. Metcalf from International Studies
What is your name?Dr. Lee Metcalf What kind of work do you do in the College?Among other things, I am the director of the International Studies degree programs. Why did you decide to work at an academic institution? I was an FSU political science major who became absolutely fascinated with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe…
